Winning the War Against Showrooming: Turning Browsers into Buyers

Showrooming is not really a pricing problem. It is an information problem. Shoppers view or test a product in-store, price-check it on a phone, and buy online for less. Mobile technology made that comparison instant. What a retailer can still change is what happens in the seconds before the phone comes out.

Close the Information Gap on the Shop Floor

Ogloba's ROPO system places in-store terminals holding a detailed, searchable digital version of the retailer's inventory of electronic and household appliances. Customers can browse it alone if they prefer. But the more valuable shift is what it does to the conversation, by bridging the physical environment of the store and the digital universe of the catalogue at the exact point of decision.

From Order-Taker to Advisor

The system moves the sales representative from face-to-face to side-by-side — a guide working through the same screen as the customer rather than standing across from them. With up-to-date, detailed product information available quickly, staff can answer the comparison question in the aisle, present the latest deals and offers, and negotiate terms that commit the customer in-store.

The physical store already holds real advantages: touch, human guidance, immediate possession. What it historically lacked was catalogue depth. Supplying that on the shop floor does not outlaw showrooming — it removes the reason to leave.

FAQ

Why is showrooming an information problem rather than a pricing problem?

Shoppers view or test a product in-store, price-check it on a phone, and buy online for less. Mobile technology made that comparison instant, so the price gap itself is hard for a retailer to control. What can still be changed is the information reaching the customer in the seconds before the phone comes out.

Can shoppers use the in-store terminal on their own, without a sales representative?

Yes. Ogloba's ROPO terminals hold a detailed, searchable digital version of the retailer's inventory of electronic and household appliances, and customers can browse it alone if they prefer. The more valuable shift, though, is what the terminal does to the conversation between shopper and staff at the point of decision.

What changes when staff and shoppers work through the same screen?

The sales representative moves from face-to-face to side-by-side — a guide working through the same screen as the customer rather than standing across from them. With up-to-date, detailed product information available quickly, staff can answer the comparison question in the aisle and present the latest deals and offers.

What was the physical store historically missing?

Catalogue depth. The physical store already holds real advantages — touch, human guidance, immediate possession — but that depth is what it historically lacked. Supplying it on the shop floor does not outlaw showrooming; it removes the reason to leave.